With the Red Sox nursing a 2-1 lead over the Colorado Rockies in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the World Series Thursday night at Fenway Park, Manager Terry Francona called on his Japanese lefty to take over for Curt Schilling -- an inning earlier than has usually been the bullpen routine for Okajima this season.

Okajima, however, came through with a flawless 2 1/3 innings, not allowing a Rockies baserunner and striking out four along the way to get the game to Jonathan Papelbon, who closed out the 2-1 win, giving the Red Sox a commanding 2-0 Series lead heading to Colorado this weekend.

"It was a phenomenal effort on both their parts, and even with the rest," Francona said. "I mean, that set up the whole game, (with) him being able to go out in the eighth and keeping their two fastest runners off base really helped us."

Okajima, who dressed afterward and then left without speaking to reporters, allowed his numbers to speak for themselves: 28 pitches, including 20 for strikes as he became the first Japanese-born pitcher to appear in a World Series.

"This was the Pap-Okajima show tonight," Schilling said. "That was just phenomenal to watch.

"A 2-1 game in the fifth that ends up 2-1 with both of these offenses, that is a testament to how incredibly efficient and dominating these bullpens were tonight."

Schilling was equally impressive in what may have been his Fenway finale, departing after 5 1/3 innings and 82 pitches after a Matt Holliday single and a walk to Todd Helton.

In came Okajima for his sixth appearance of this postseason. The unorthodox-throwing lefty induced Garrett Atkins to ground out to Kevin Youkilis at first, advancing both runners, but then struck out Brad Hawpe swinging to end the threat.

"He can pitch," Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said of Okajima. "He's a pitcher and he has a number of pitches that you have to have."

Okajima set the Rockies down in order in the seventh and then struck out Willy Taveras looking and Kaz Matsui swinging to start the eighth, signaling the call for Papelbon to end the night for Okajima, who has yet to allow a postseason run over 9 2/3 innings of duty.

-- The Enterprise

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